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Eric Braker crossed the finish line in first place. The crowd erupted in surprise celebration, and Eric himself climbed out the window sitting on the edge to throw both fists up at the sky and cheer.
Lightning sighed heavily as Cruz started cursing out everyone in her path, he took his head set off as she brought the car over to the pit, putting the band down around his neck, just watching everything. Cruz climbed out of her car, taking her helmet off and miming throwing it on the ground. He wondered if she actually wanted to but her hands couldn’t let go of it, her fingers cramped around the edge.
He’d had that happen a few more times then he’d like to admit.
He stepped forward, wondering if this was the right move, but she let him take the helmet, and she just leaned her head on his shoulder as he rubbed feeling back into her fingers, a technique he’d used on himself for years. When she pulled away finally, she took a deep breath, sighing it out, but she met his eye and nodded once before walking away.
His eyes wondered over to Storms pit-crew, but they where all busy with the car, and he couldn’t see Jackson anywhere. He turned away, and got to the hard part of his job. Press after a loss for his team had gotten harder when he wasn’t the driver.
Lightning almost turned around when he saw Jackson leaning on the side of his car, his arms crossed over his chest, a duffel bag at his feet; he looked tired but he was still scowling a little.
They had agreed that it was best to keep away from each other while races where on going, seeing each other as often as they could, but mostly keeping to face times, and phone calls late at night when Jackson was about to fall asleep on the phone with him. As someone else’s chief and mentor it would look bad for him to be there, but his chest clenched at the sight and so he continued walking, passing Jackson within arms reach.
“Storm,” he greeted him, as he unlocked the car.
Jackson was in an over-sized number twenty hoodie and baggy soft black jeans, his eyes were half lidded and Lightning could tell he was about to crash. He didn’t say anything, he just stared at him.
Lightning stood there, waiting him out with his hand on the door handle. Their eyes met, and Jackson blinked slowly at him.
He didn’t take credit for it, but since starting their relationship, Jackson had gotten mellowed out a little. Not that he didn’t talk trash, and not that he wasn’t stuck up, but that he wasn’t angry all the time.
Lightning opened his door, leaning his arm across the roof of the car, eyes still locked with Jackson’s. Finally he raised a brow at him, and Jackson’s scowl turned into more of a frown. Lightning’s eyes flickered around them, his back was to the rest of the parking lot, and it was late enough that the crew in charge of paparazzi had gotten them away from the front entrance, and out by the gates.
Lightning walked around his open door, letting it block the view of his hand coming to rest on Jackson’s arm.
“Hey kid, what’s wrong?” His voice was low, and Jackson slumped back a little. His eyebrows started scrunching together, and Lightning could tell he was close to tears. He was about to pull him to his side, fuck it if word got out, but Jackson took a deep breath,
“Can I take a ride with you?”
His voice was watery, pitched all over the place, and Lightning’s eyebrows furrowed,
“I’m headed home kid, it’s four hours to Radiator Springs from here, you sure you wanna come with me?”
Jackson titled his head, weighing his options. It was the end of the season, he had a week off before back to training probably. He nodded once; turning and picking up the duffel bag by his feet, he went around to the other side of the car and got in.
Lightning rolled his head once one way, and then back the other. He turned and stepped back around his open door, climbing in and shutting the door with a satisfying thunk.
He didn’t notice till they where out the gate that he had settled his hand on Jackson’s thigh, holding onto him while he drove. He looked at Jackson after pulling out onto the highway, but he was sleeping, arms crossed over his chest, chin tucked down. His hood was pulled all the way up, almost covering his eyes. Lighting smiled, settled down into his seat some more, and let his mind be as free as the open road in front of him.
The quiet atmosphere lasted three hours. Lightning pulled them into the twenty four hour gas station he stopped at almost every tip home from the direction they where headed in, and as the car slowed to a stop at the pump, Jackson came awake with a little intake of breath, his arms stretching out in front of him as he shook his fingers to get feeling back into them. Lightning watched his face, the way his nose scrunched up as he stretched, and woke up.
He didn’t resist leaning over and kissing Jackson’s temple, making him huff at him, his hand coming up to Lightning’s chest. He didn’t shove him away, but just resting there for a moment.
Lightning took his hand off Jackson’s thigh finally, putting the car into park, and unbuckling. He heard Jackson unbuckle as he opened his door, and he only had half a mind to worry about anyone taking pictures of them out here in the middle of the night.
He got the pump into the car when Jackson spoke finally, his voice thick with sleep,
“I’ll see if they have the flavor of ghost you like.”
Lightning smiled at him,
“We are about forty minutes from my house, and I’d like to sleep tonight as much as I can. I’ll meet you in there though,” at Jackson’s confused look he said, “You have to pay inside here.”
Jackson made a noise that sounded something like ‘ok then’, but turned and went inside the gas station. Lightning saw Jackson ask the guy at the counter something, and then he headed to the back, where the bathrooms are. The guy watched him go, a slack-jawed look on his face.
When the car was full, he locked it, even though he didn’t feel like he needed to, sighing as he stepped into the building. He gave the guy behind the counter a little wave, but headed right back to the fridges. Jackson was already there, holding a can of Lightning’s preferred arizona tea, his own tea of choice, and a couple of bags of snacks. Lightning took the cans from him, and Jackson murdered a little thanks to him, as he reached back in and grabbed a couple bottles of water.
As they walked back to the counter, Lightning tried to hand Jackson his wallet so he could pay for the things while he went to restroom, but Jackson scoffed at him. Lightning put the wallet back in his pocket, but made a mocking scoff sound back at him. He saw Jackson’s smile as he turned around after sitting the cans on the counter for him, almost jogging back to the bathroom.
He again waved to the guy behind the counter on his way out after using the bathroom, noticing the star-struck, and slightly confused look on his face as he left the building.
Jackson was leaned against the side of the car, and he hit the button on the keys to unlock it. When Lightning climbed in, Jackson was already holding out his open can of tea for him to take.
They where on the road for twenty minutes when Jackson finally spoke, their hands where twined together, resting on Lightning’s thigh, when he said,
“Thank’s for letting me tag along.”
Lightning just scoffed,
“Of course. I’ve missed you.”
Jackson made a sound, soft and agreeing.
“I don’t know why you’d wanna come out to Radiator Springs with me, but I won’t complain.”
He said it with a teasing tone to his voice, but Jackson’s fingers tightened slightly before relaxing again. Lightning soother his thumb over the back of Jackson’s knuckles, and then brought his hand up to press a kiss where he’d just soothed. Jackson sighed, and then startled him by asking,
“Are we a secret to your family too?”
Lightning brought their hands back down to his lap, his mouth twisting down into a frown, though his chest swelled with the fact that Jackson had remembered their talk about how the people of Radiator Springs where more his family then his father had ever been,
“Your not a secret to them, no. I haven’t told them about you yet cause we hadn’t talked about it.”
He chanced a glance over at him, noting the little downward twist of Jackson’s mouth, his eyebrows scrunched again,
“Hey,” Lightning murmured, “If you want to meet them, I’ll introduce you in the morning.”
Jackson nodded once, Lightning could see it out of the corner of his eye.
They’d had the talk before, but Lighting felt he needed to remind him,
“We’re only a secret as long as you want to be. It’s your career that will take the hit, I’ve been out as bi for years now.”
Jackson’s fingers tightened on his again, this time not relaxing.
“Kid,” He said, his voice a little more stern now, “What happened, whats going on with you right now.”
Jackson was silent for a moment, but his thumb rubbed the back of Lightning’s hand, and he knew he was thinking about something,
“Come on Jackson, you gotta give me something to go off here,” he whispered, and Jackson squeezed his fingers again.
His voice was thick, and muffled like he was hiding behind his other hand, and Lightning hated it. He had only seen Jackson cry a couple times, and it didn’t get easier,
“Danny said some shit earlier.” He paused, but Lightning waited for him to continue, his mind reeling, and Jackson cleared hit throat, voice a little steadier as he said,
“We used to have this deal, if I’d loose a race to him, no matter how we placed, I’d be his and a group of his buddies for the night.”
Lightning’s jaw ticked, his teeth gritting together uncomfortably, and forcibly dropped it as subtly as he could.
“He said something, after the race about it, and how I had told him it was off at the start of the season.” Jackson paused again, and Lighting could hear him rubbing at his eyes,
“I told him I was seeing someone, and how we where exclusive. He made a big deal about it, saying shit about how I’m too much of a slut for that. I punched him in the nose cause he was trying to follow me out of the building, and I think it clicked in his head that I was serious and wasn’t messing around.”
Lightning’s fingers tightened around Jackson’s hand, almost missing the turn off of the highway to get onto Route 66. Jackson sighed again,
“I don’t know. It didn’t bug me, so much as it made me tired.”
His words where mumbled as he spoke the last of it, but Lightning just nodded.
“I’m sorry it happened.”
Jackson scoffed, his thumb still rubbing at Lighting’s knuckles.
“It didn’t hurt as much as seeing you with Cruz.”
His voice was still quiet, but it was clear this time. Lightning paused, his head tilting as Radiator Springs came into view, and he slowed down to the speed limit, in case the Sheriff was around.
“When I helped her with the hand cramps.” He knew his voice sounded dead to himself, but he couldn’t help it,
“Nothing is going on between me and Cruz.”
Jackson sighed, and it sounded defeated,
“I know that, I just wished it was me.”
Lightning didn’t say anything as they pulled into the town. Everything was closed for the night, of course, it was half passed 3 in the morning, but everyone had left their main neon’s on to welcome him home. Jackson was quiet, and when Lightning peeked at him out the corner of his eye he saw him looking around. There wasn’t awe on his face, but curiosity that Lightning liked. He didn’t have to be impressed with his home, he just needed to like it.
the pulled to the left at the end of the main road, heading into the rest of the town proper, instead of following the route out of town, pulled out into the small housing area, and then into Lightning’s garage.
He lead the way into his house, taking Jackson’s bag as he shut the garage door with a click of the button by the door.
He’d moved into the old residential area, and so his house was dated, but he liked it. He had done his best to blend the old and modern, and it showed. Modern tech in a vintage wrapper.
Lightning left Jackson to wander if he wanted to, and he went up the stairs and put Jackson’s bag in his room, putting it on the dresser. He turned back, turning the light on in the hall as he went back down. Jackson was standing in his living room, looking at the pictures on the walls, almost dead on his feet. Lighting smiled at the sighted of his socked feet against the carpet. He went over to the front door, kicking his shoes off next to Jackson’s boots.
He walked back into the living room, sliding up behind Jackson, gripping his upper arm as he pressed his face into his neck. Jackson sighed, and leaned back against him.
“How come it isn’t dusty,” he mumbled, sleep heavy. Lighting sighed against the warm skin of Jackson’s neck, reveling in the shiver it sent down his spine.
“I called a neighbor. Asked if they’d come take the plastic down for me, I’d mow their lawn next week.”
Jackson laughed a little, genuine, and Lightning smiled against his neck as he asked,
“What’s so funny?”
Jackson’s laugh trailed off, as he said,
“Lighting McQueen, mowing the neighbors lawn.”
Lightning laughed too, pulled away and leading Jackson by the arm down the hall to his room.
He woke up to the sun shining into his face. He sighed, bringing his hand up to rub at his eyes, and he could feel that he hadn’t gotten enough sleep, but he knew he wasn’t gonna get anymore. Jackson was still sleeping, his face pressed to Lighting’s collar, his hair tickling his chin, but Lighting had been missing it, missing Jackson in his bed for the past couple months.
He looked out the curtains, sighing at the view of the plateaus. His finger’s trailed Jackson’s spine, and he sighed in sleep, snuggling closer. Lighting smiled, and let his eyes slip shut again.
He didn’t sleep as predicted, and so he got to feel Jackson wake up, his eyelashes tickling his shoulder as he woke up. He shifted back, and Lighting met his eye.
“Good morning,” Lightning mumbled to him, and Jackson grunted, pressing forward again. Lighting chuckled, fingers going back to their path of up and down Jackson’s back.
“Where’s the bathroom,” Jackson said, his voice grumpy in the mornings, and Lighting was used to it at this point, grinning as he he told him across the hall.
Jackson got up, stumbling a bit as he walked out the room, and Lighting watched him. He was wearing the sweat pants Lightning had given him their second night together, stolen from his wardrobe, but he didn’t mind. He liked the way they hung off Jackson’s hips, and if they just so happened to be dark maroon with a ninety-five down one leg, well. Jackson hadn’t complained about it at all.
His phone chirped on the night stand and he rolled over to check it.
There where three missed calls, one from Cruz, but she’d sent a text calling him a jerk for not texting her if he was ok, and two from Mater.
He texted Cruz back, let her know he had made it and fallen asleep as soon as he’d gotten in.
He glanced at the clock, sighing at the hour. They had gotten four hours of sleep.
He sat up, and hit the call back button on Mater’s number.
He answered on the third ring,
“Hey buddy! You got in last night, right?”
Lightning smiled,
“I did indeed Mater.”
Mater cheered in the background. Jackson walked back into the room, he looked at Lightning with confusing, but he stayed quiet as he pulled a fresh shirt from his bag and picked up his jeans from the night before.
“I’m guessing you want the morning to yourself, but this afternoon, oh man, you have ta see it Lightnin, Filmore and, well. You’ll see!” He said it with a chuckle. Lighting smiled, bright, already knowing what Filmore had done, but he said
“Yeah, I’ll see it.” He hesitated, and Mater said his name, but he glanced and Jackson, a tight pit of nerves suddenly forming in his stomach,
“I actually have someone I want y’all to meet.”
Jackson looked up at him, shock and then a soft smile stretching across his face.
“Well shoot,” Mater said, “I think we where gonna all meet up at Flo’s for lunch anyway, how about then?”
Lighting laughed, “Sound’s great Mater, see y’all then.”
Mater hung up the phone as he said bye, and Lightning laughed as he put the phone down.
Jackson was laying on his back, slowly blinking at the ceiling when Lightning got back from the bathroom. He’d thrown the shirt and jean’s on top of the dresser for whenever they’d get dressed and head into town. Lightning leaned against the doorway, watching him. The light on his skin almost seemed to glow.
“Will you fuck me in here?” Jackson asked, and Lightning scoffed, shaking his head fondly,
“I don’t know, maybe if your good today.”
Jackson hummed, stretching his legs out, pushing the sheets farther down the bed,
“I’d like to be fucked in here, in your bed, before I leave.”
Lighting tilted his head, smiling.
“Yeah, we can make that happen kid.”
Jackson’s eyes where shut but he had a soft smile ticking up at the corner of his mouth.
Their morning was slow as molasses, the light shifting from soft morning, to mid morning. They got up, dressed and out the door before eleven.
It was a couple blocks to Flo’s and Lightning insisted that they take the walk. He needed to stretch his legs after the long drive through the morning, and Jackson had agreed. He had taken Jackson’s hand as soon as they left the house, and while Jackson’s face had turned a nice pink, he hadn’t protested, had even shifted a little closer, almost resting his head on Lighting’s shoulder as they walked.
Lighting couldn’t help the bright smile on his face, and as the got to the corner, he point at the statue of Stanley and started telling Jackson the story of how the town was founded. Jackson listened, though Lighting couldn’t tell if it was because was interested, or if it was cause he liked listening to Lighting talk, and he found he didn’t care either way.
When they got across the street from the dinner, Lighting paused, his smile turning amused. Mater had gathered everyone who was around town to the dinner. He could see Flo and Ramone sitting together at the bar, Red and the Sheriff where standing around, Mater and Holly where sitting in a booth. Sally and her girlfriend Rachael where sitting across from them.
He looked down to Jackson, about to ask him if he was ready; and found Jackson looking up at him, a soft set to his brow that only he and a few other people who truly knew him would know was there. Lightning smiled and pressed a kiss to his brow, and then tugged on his hand as they crossed the street.
It wasn’t too hot out yet, but stepping into the ac of Flo’s was nice, and everyone called out his name.
He called a hi back, pulling Jackson closer to his side as they fully stepped into the building. He could feel Jackson tense up beside him. They walked over to where everyone was talking.
“Everyone,” Lightning said, nerves finally starting to form in his stomach,
“This is Jackson Storm, my partner.”
“Boyfriend,” Jackson mumbled under his breath, but it wasn’t very easy to hear, as the people Lighting had started to call family, started talking joyously at them. Lighting couldn’t even pay attention to those around him, too busy smiling down at Jackson.